Other VanOrden Posts

Sunday, March 31, 2013

In my last post on fitness I gave a list of reasons for
getting up and getting your body moving.
Starting with the last item on that list, I want to do a little more cheer-leading
to get you to roll out a mat and do some stretching.

You don’t have to leave your house, you don’t have to go to
a class, you can make it very simple but the benefits of yoga-like stretching
are worth 30 minutes of your time each day.
I do my yoga in the morning by using the lessons I have recorded on my
DVR. But maybe you would enjoy the
social experience and challenge of a class.
Yoga classes are everywhere. My
local athletic club offers yoga classes and a power stretching class. Let’s face it; most warm-up and stretching
exercises are derived from yoga.

THE BENEFITS:

Less injury – Yoga is low impact. It prevents injury by warming
up muscles and joints so you are better prepared for other activities. The key to yoga is to go at your own pace and
not to over reach yourself; to breathe deeply and relax into each movement and
pose. Everyone’s flexibility is
different. You learn to be more in tune
with your own body’s needs and abilities.

Better balance – As we age we are more prone to falling
accidents because we tend to stop doing things that require balance. We tend to
cut back and reduce our efforts. Yoga
poses challenge you to engage in positions that will improve your stability and
reduce mishaps.

Better agility – We have lived busy lives constantly working
and taking care of a family. We have not
always consistently maintained the kind of athletic activities that keep our
bodies supple. Yoga will push you to be
more youthful in your approach to life.

Strength and stamina – Yoga builds and strengthens muscle
using positions in a greater variety than you would normally use while lifting
weights. Thus muscles you might
otherwise neglect will be strengthened and when muscles are stronger you have
more stamina.

A clearer, calmer mind – Yoga encourages you to move at your
own pace, to breathe deeply, to meditate as you gently
move. I have a busy mind that is always
planning, scheming, stressing, wondering, working, working, working. Yoga is training me to still my mind and just
be.